In this session of Pick-Ax Dhamma, Western Buddhist monks Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview the great Joseph Goldstein (a student of Indian mother (Dipa's mother) and Buddhist Meditation MasterDipa Ma and her Indian teacher Anagarika Munindra) about his perspectives on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta(suttacentral.net) and elaborated in his book Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
This conversation touches on Goldstein's
personal relationships with his teachers and peers Munindra-jii and Ven. Analayo,
Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
Buddha's Brain (Rick Hanson)
Author Dr. Rick Hanson, PhD has 4.7 out of 5 stars (with 2,067 reviews) for this book. Change our brain, change our life? This essential classic from the New York Times bestselling author Rick Hanson is celebrating 15 years in print with more than 500,000 copies sold.
Great teachers like the Buddha Gautama, the Christ Jesus, Muslim Mo, Jewish Mo, and Hinduism's Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else’s—and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world.
Neuroscience now reveals how the flow of thoughts actually sculpts the brain. More and more, we are learning that it’s possible to strengthen positive brain states [and traits].
By combining breakthroughs in science with insights from thousands of years of mindfulness practice, readers can also shape their own “Buddha’s Brain” for greater happiness, love, and wisdom.
Buddha’s Brain draws on evidence-based neuroscience to show how to stimulate the brain for more fulfilling relationships, a deeper spiritual life, and a greater sense of inner confidence and self-worth.
Using guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, readers will learn how to activate the brain states of calm, joy, and compassion to replace worry, sorrow, and anger.
Most importantly, readers will foster positive psychological growth that will literally change the way they live their day-to-day lives.
This book provides an essential intersection of psychology, neurology, and contemplative practice. It is filled with practical tools and skills that readers can use every day to tap into the unused potential of the brain and rewire it over time for greater well-being. More
The Gateless Gate (Mandarin Chinese 無門關, Wúménguān, Japanese 無門関, Mumonkan), sometimes translated as The Gateless Barrier, is a collection of 48 Chan (Zen) koans ("public cases" popularly but mistakenly thought of as insoluble riddles).
It was compiled in the early 13th century by the Chinese Master Wumen Huikai (無門慧開, Japanese Mumon Ekai, 1183–1260) during the Song Dynasty.
The title has a double meaning and may also be understood as Wumen's Barrier because Wumen's name, which literally means "no gate," is the title's first two characters.
Then I knew intuitively, innately by instinct!
Wumen's preface indicates that the volume was published in 1228. Each koan is accompanied by a commentary and verse by Wumen.
A classic edition includes a 49th case composed by Anwan in 1246. Wuliang Zongshou also supplemented the volume with a verse of four stanzas composed in 1230 about the three barriers of Chan Master Huanglong Huinan.
Since the Southern Song Dynasty, the Chinese Buddhist canon has not included The Gateless Gate, but Wumen's disciples brought the work to Japan, where it has been reprinted many times.
It is collected in volume 48 of the Taishō Tripiṭaka [1]. Along with the Blue Cliff Record and the oral tradition of Hakuin Ekaku, The Gateless Gate is a central work much used in Rinzai Zen School practice.
Five of the koans in the work concern the sayings and doings of Zhaozhou; four concern Ummon. The common theme of the koans and Wumen's comments is the inquiry and introspection of dualistic conceptualization. (See Mahayana-Hinduism's nondualism or Advaita Vedanta).
Satori (Japanese 悟り) is a Japanese Zen Buddhist term for "awakening," "comprehension," "understanding" [1], or "insight" (an epiphany, a sudden moment of "clear-seeing" or vipassana, liberating insight). The word derives from the Japanese verb satoru [2, 3]. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satori refers to a deep experience of kenshō[4, 5], "seeing into one's true nature" [that true nature being the Three Marks of Existence that lead to enlightenment/bodhiin Theravada Buddhist terms]. Ken means "seeing," shō means "nature" or "essence" [4]. Satori and kenshō are commonly translated as "enlightenment," a word that is also used to translate bodhi, prajñā ("wisdom"), and Buddhahood. More
To suddenly see clearly into the nature of things
Each koan epitomizes one or more of the polarities of consciousness that act like an obstacle or wall to theinsight.
The student is challenged to transcend the polarity that the koan represents and demonstrate or show that transcendence to the Zen teacher.
Structure and contents
The text was originally prepared by Wumen as a record of his teaching during a monastic training period held at Longxiang Temple (now Jiangxin Temple in Wenzhou) in the summer of 1228.
Wumen selected the 48 koans and commented on and added a verse for each koan. As was customary in China at the time, an edition might have additions of text inserted by a subsequent owner or publisher.
The best-known version of the text is from the Japanese woodblock edition made from the 1246 manuscript edition that contains the following sections. More
Originally written in the 11th or 12th century, the Sangaha has served as the key to wisdom held in the Abhidhamma(the Buddha's "Dharma in Ultimate Terms").
Ah, now I know and see what the Buddha meant
Concisely surveyed are the Abhidhamma's central themes, includingstates ofconsciousness and mental factors, the functions and processes of the mind/awareness, the material world, Dependent Arising, and the methods and stages of meditation.
This presents an exact translation of the Sangaha alongside the original Pali text. A detailed, explanatory guide with more than 40 charts and tables lead readers through the complexities of Abhidhamma. More
Dedicated to our UCLA MARC (Mindful Awareness Research Center)-trained teacher, bonsai enthusiast, and Angeles National Forest docent Tod (rest in peace), who not only led us in meditation in the foothills of Monrovia but also gifted me an authentic handcrafted Native American shakuhachi-style flute to meditate with, which unfortunately was consumed by the Great Spirit of the mountain during the Eaton Fire. Thank you, Tod.
Let the heart (mind) settle here: Japanese Zen music for peace and stillness | shakuhachi and koto
(Yamato Zen Relaxing) June 24, 2026: Let the heart settle here, in this Zen garden of contoured (raked) sand. 🍁 A red maple tree stands alone in the mist, where the world grows still.
This Japanese ambient track is inspired by gassho (the Japanese act, inspired by India's añjali mudrāand namaste-greeting), which is the bringing of the palms together near the heart in reverence.
It is a calm state where any fragmented noise of the day softens into something whole.
Shakuhachi (flute) and koto (harp) unfold in a still, unhurried flow, supported by a quiet and continuous atmosphere that allows thoughts to float away as the mind/heart settles and remain at ease.
Human bowls beat AI tools
(Aurabowls) Nervous system calm with raw Himalayan singing
bowls | no artificial effects, just pure resonant sounds
That black metal bowl can make all that sound?
Namaste. This 5-hour sound bath is the raw, untouched sound of Tibetan Buddhist singing bowls, no effects or music added, just pure, natural resonance recorded as is. These deep tones carry a timeless quality that helps calm the nervous system and bring the mind to a place of rest. Listen for hours or simply set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes. Use it however it feels right. The background is peaceful, like sitting under a tree while a gentle breeze moves through the leaves. Let that image hold. Sounds rise and fade like waves, no need to catch every one of them. Just follow whatever is heard and return to it whenever the mind wanders.
This track is suitable for:
🍁 deep focus and inner stillness
🧘 meditation and mindful presence
😴 quiet rest and gentle relaxation
🌿 inner balance and tranquil harmony. Use it to create a quiet space to slow the breath, soften the edges of a harried life, and rest in the stillness that already lives inside us all.
It pairs well with Zen kinhin or "walking meditation." Walk at a slow, deliberate pace, letting each step fall like a stone into still water, and feel the ground rise gently to meet the body.
Let the hands come to rest, palms together, in a moment that belongs only to the stillness.
TRACKLIST
00:00:00 1. Raked in Mist
00:02:20 2. Still Roots
00:04:51 3. Crimson and Fog
00:08:55 4. Bamboo Mist
00:12:01 5. Veranda's Edge
00:15:55 6. Red Bough
00:19:39 7. Quiet Bearing
00:23:50 8. Circled Sand
00:28:03 9. Veiled Canopy
00:30:53 10. Solitary Maple
00:35:24 11. Sword's Repose
00:39:21 12. Settled Deep
00:42:36 13. White Sand
00:46:53 14. Worn Reverence
00:51:27 15. Soft Enclosure
00:55:56 16. Fog's Return
00:59:29 17. Repeat
🎨 This video's visuals and audio are produced by real humans with artificial AI tools. If any of this resonates, consider subscribing for more original Japanese ambient and Zen-inspired compositions. 🙏 💿️ Zen music, relaxing music, meditation music, focus music, sleep music, background music, Japanese music, flute music, stress relief, Japanese ambient sounds, healing music, calming music
Author Dhammaloka ("Dharma-world" or "Dharma-light or white") Viriya ("energy") knows that liberation (vimutti, moksha, vimokkha) from the cycle of rebirth (samsara) comes from the Awakening (bodhi-ification) of the (ennobling = enlightening) Truths.
To be awakened, one needs to practice mindfulness-meditation (satipatthana) by relinquishing attachment to the six senses, which will eradicate the clinging to all [of their attendant] phenomena, before the Dhamma (Truth, Teaching, Doctrine) eventually reveals itself to the practitioner.
Once the practitioner catches a glimpse of the Dhamma, the Ultimate Truth, through direct knowing-and-seeing, the practitioner will know there is no more falling back into the mire of this mundane world.
The Buddha pointed out the way to end of all suffering through mindfulness (sati) practice, and many practitioners since the Buddha’s time have reached that bliss and release from practicing in accordance with it.
However, in the author’s observation, although practitioners in this age find the practice fulfilling, they do not experience the awakening moment and therefore do not see the fruition as they hope to.
What are the challenges of an intensive insight meditation (vipassana) retreat?
What enables a practitioner to experience bliss (piti) from meditation?
What does the practitioner experience when the Dhamma finally appears as direct knowledge and vision?
Find out in this book, which is the first-hand experience of a yogi ("practitioner") who went through the trials and tribulations of a vipassana ("insight") meditation retreat at a forest monastery to see for himself the ultimate truths of
disappointment (that all phenomena are unsatisfactory and unable to fulfill),
impermanence (that all phenomena are constantly hurtling toward destruction).
Directly knowing-and-seeing these Three Universal Truths produces a life-changing experience.
NOTE: Not all vipassana meditation retreats are affiliated with Indian S. N. Goenka (dhamma.org). Burmese monk U Ba Khin's star student and businessman just popularized it worldwide with a free, volunteer-based, 10-day structure.
The Buddha in the usual list we call the Noble (Ennobling = Enlightening) Eightfold Path called one of those factors samma-sati not sati. What's the difference? One might think one is being mindful, but is it what the Buddha or the noble ones call "right" mindfulness? (If there's a right, that implies there's a wrong way to go about it or fool oneself that one is doing it at all). If "mindfulness" only meant awareness, then I'm being "aware" (conscious) right now, right? Yes! Am I being mindful? Probably not. There's a difference, a big difference. Retreat leaders and personal teachers should talk about it more and stop taking it for granted that one will just figure it out or that it is so patently obvious that it needs no defining or delimiting. It does, at least for over-thinkers. Sure, there are some people who will just take to it like guppies or ducklets to water. (They've likely extensively and successfully practiced in past lives).
We don't know what we're doing, but we got a groupon
Therefore, the most important thing before embarking on a vipassana retreat (whether it's Goenka-based or not), know that it is being defined as satipatthana. That means the fourfold setting up of mindfulness, which is explained in great detail in two sutras (Pali canon discourses or suttas). However, and this is the maddening part, almost nothing is said to define mindfulness (Buddhist sati). That is the most important thing to know, but it gets taken for granted. Or very weak definitions are offered, such as defining it as "awareness." We are aware right now, and more than 99% of us are not being mindful about it. For an extensive definition, see the academic work of Western Theravada professor-monk Ven. Analayo.
The Buddhist version of "mindfulness" called sati, as we understand it, is "bare awareness" with detachment, looking on, dispassionate watching. Sounds easy, but it is very hard because it goes against our deeply ingrained habits and traits. Usually when we are aware of anything, we taint that awareness with the Three Poisons of the heart/mind: liking, disliking, indifference (from the roots of all bad karma poorly translated as "greed, hatred, and delusion."
Look up lobha, dosa, and moha. And what becomes apparent is that Pali and Sanskrit terms have wide valence, a range of meaning for a single word. "Greed" or lobha does not mean our idea of greediness. It means liking, preferring, welcoming, grasping, attaching, and getting clingy about pleasant phenomena. "Hatred" or dosa does not mean intense fury or anger; it means disliking, having an aversion to, fearing, avoiding, repressing... It is our customary reaction to any and everything we find unpleasant.
Then there's "delusion" or moha, the worst one, the most embedded one, the hardest one to see. It refers to all the wrong views we hold, consciously and unconsciously, distortions of reality, perversions (seeing what is unpleasant as pleasant, what is repulsive as attractive, what is transient as lasting), confusion, not knowing, not understanding, not fathoming, not knowing, not seeing. This is practically our whole existence, if we think about it, but it might be summarized as failing to notice the Three Characteristics of Existence in all things -- that they are ultimately radically impermanent, eventually disappointing (unable to ever fulfill us), and (no matter how impossible it is to conceive, believe, fathom, or accept) altogether impersonal.
So to be mindful (to see clearly, which is to practice vipassana) is to look on, watch everything without giving in to the unconscious pull of these old habits. Just watch. Just notice. Just maintain attention. Note how when something is pleasing, greed for it arises. When something is displeasing, aversion with regard to it arises. When something is neutral, dull, confusing, hard to grasp, or boring, delusion arises, which is to say we space out, fall asleep, wander to something more interesting, even if it is a very unpleasant memory. Better than boredom. We do everything but be here now when this is the only real place there is to be. There's only now. The past is done. The future will take care of itself. But all our power is here, now. Let's attend to it. Let's finally see it for what it has always been so as to be liberated by the truth. The truth will set us free. What truth? The Truth, sometimes summarized as the Four Noble (Ennobling = Enlightening) Truths, the ultimate (paramattha) Truth, the true nature of existence (personally penetrating the Three Marks of Existence already mentioned). Need a list? There are the 37 Requisites of Enlightenment (the bodhipakkhiyādhammā). That Truth sets one free here and now, immediately.
But there's something every and anyone who embarks on Buddhist meditation needs to know beyond a good grasp of the meaning of "mindfulness" (sati). And that is that one will meet Five Hindrances whenever one tries to sit still or rest the mind or walk and move about with constant attention to the here and now, which does not involve "thinking" about the here-and-now, just watching it dispassionately.
The Five Hindrances one will meet in meditation (and their antidotes)
This is stupid! It doesn't work! Buddha was wrong!
The historical Buddha taught that there are Five Hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇa, Pali pañca nīvaraṇāni), mental factors that hinder, obstruct, derail progress in meditation and ruin daily life [1].
The Theravada Buddhist tradition identifies these factors as specific obstacles to "meditation," which is defined as jhāna (eight stages of stillness, unification, samadhi, concentration, coherence, superconsciousness) in practice.
Contemporary insight meditation teachers identify the Five Hindrances as obstacles to mindfulness meditation and obstacles to samma-samadhi ("right concentration," though "concentration" is problematic because we have many assumptions about what that means). "Stillness" is better, when the heart/mind has settled out, is silent, lucid, observant, directly knowing-and-seeing. But concentration is sometimes useful because ekaggata (singlepointedness or one-pointedness) is a factor of jhana.
The Five Hindrance are part of two types of obstructions (Sanskrit āvaraṇa, i.e., obstacles to insight, realization, awakening, buddhahood), afflictive obstructions (Sanskrit kleśā-avaraṇa, which include the Five Hindrances) and cognitive obstructions (jñeyā-avaraṇa, which bodhisattvas are trying to uproot) [2].
The classic list of Five Hindrances is [3, 4, 5, 6]
craving, desire, lust (kāmacchanda): seeking pleasure through the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and tactile sensation
sloth-and-torpor (thīna-middha): mental-and-bodily lassitude, laziness, weakness, lack of energy to strive, half-hearted action with little or no effort, attention, concentration
restlessness-and-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca): the inability to allow the mind/heart to calm down, relax, become tranquil (passaddhi), serene, unflappable, steady, restful, undistracted, attentive, and focused, diligent, vigilant, energetic
Skeptical doubt (vicikiccha): lack of confidence, conviction, faith, trust that one has understood the instructions, the path, or one's abilities to successfully proceed. More
The antidotes are called the Five Factors of Absorptions, the jhana-anga (limbs or factors). By the way, right mindfulness immediately dispels delusion instantaneously.
Dhammaloka Viriya (diary); Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (commentary), Ashley Wells (editor) and Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) selection of video shorts, Wisdom Quarterly
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